Apples Forever
by JigsawGirl
Summary: The Apple Family has been a strong cornerstone of Ponyville for generations. Maybe not for much longer. Maybe that's a good thing. Dark story with a twist, but light and peace comes from it.


**Early Afternoon – Sweet Apple Acres**

Granny Smith's limbs creaked as she let herself be helped out of the cab. Her ancient knees never wanted to cooperate in such ventures, and it took her and the cabbie a good three minutes to get her standing on the ground in front of the old farmhouse. She hurt from all the sitting she had done on the ride over, and even though the cabbie was slow and careful, the trip from Shady Pastures had way too much bouncing and swaying for her tastes.

She paid the cabbie, thanked him kindly for putting up with her old self, and said goodbye. As she watched the pony tow the cab back towards town, she hoped there would be enough time. The folks from the mayor's office were due to meet her in the house around dinner time, and she had a heap of work to get done, none of it too pleasurable. Pausing in the bright sun, the elderly pale green pony soaked up its warmth. Looking up the steps up to the front door of the farmhouse, she took a moment to survey the old ramshackle structure. She took in the images of disrepair and neglect apparent everywhere. The dirty windows, some cracked, some missing glass and patched with bits of cardboard. The faded and peeling paint, the missing shingles on the sagging roof. Someone had taken down one end of the yellow Ponyville police tape that had been draped across the front door, the other end hung down and lay draped across the porch.

 _"Merciful Celestia, what a difference five winters makes. To think that Id'a lived as long as this to see such times. Confound that Big Mac! Dunderheaded oaf!"_

Sighing and putting on her determined face, she slowly and painfully walked up the steps, her old legs creaking along with the weathered wood, carefully stepping around the rotting leaves and old length of hose. The old pony lifted her front leg and pushed on the door, once painted a bright green, but now faded to almost match the pale olive of her leg. The door opened into dimness and a damp stale smell that made nose wrinkle. She moved into the hallway and gave her old eyes a moment to adjust to the light.

The living room was in such a state she almost didn't recognize it. It seemed cramped and cluttered, nothing like what she remembered from her last visit. Tables piled up with boxes and projects, junk and clothes strewn about. The wooden floor seemed damp in places and brittle in others, as she carefully picked her way through the mess and into the dark house.

 _"Well I'll be blowed over. Looks like a tornader came through here,"_ she said out loud to herself as she moved deeper into the house.

 **Yesterday – Ponyville Bank and Trust – Mid morning**

 _"Now Miss Primrose, try to calm down."_ The bank manager, Nanny Weighscales looked down at her cream colored new cashier unicorn and offered her another tissue. _"Of course I won't stand to have you treated that way by a customer. I'll close his accounts at once."_

Primrose looked at her boss hopefully through puffy eyes, taking the tissue with her magic. _"That's kind of you, Ma'am. But I think I'm ok now. He was just so big! And so mad! Why was he yelling like that? And why at me? All I did was tell him his account balance…"_

Nanny sighed. She didn't think it would be right to share what she knew. About the overdue mortgage coming due, the forced sale. The Apple family had been a cornerstone of Ponyville for generations, and it was all teetering on the edge. But that certainly didn't excuse Big Mac's horrendous behavior towards her youngest employee, and her bank would have no further doings with that family. Not after today. _"Oh Miss Primrose. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Now take an early break and I'll help the customers here. You come back when you feel better. Off with you now!"_ She watched her move off to the back with concern in her eyes, and turned to help the next customer in her line. Primmy would be ok.

 **Today – Mid-afternoon, Sweet Apple Acres**

Granny Smith moved from room to room, spotting things she recognized. A family portrait of some distant relatives were poking out from under some empty sacks. She saw the old cast iron cornbread skillet she had given them on their second anniversary, sitting in the sink, rusted. Auntie Marmalade's rug still under the kitchen table, looking in pretty good repair all things considered. Not near enough family dinners these last few years, Granny figured.

As she moved through the kitchen, seeing the stairs to the cellar stopped her cold. The door hung open, more crime scene tape still draped across the opening as if holding back what had happened there. Her eyes widened as she looked down into the darkness.

 _"So down there's where Big Macintosh finally found somethin' harder than his fool head and got his due."_ She thought to herself. " _You won't catch me going down there for all the bits in Ponyville. I'll do what needs doin' upstairs for his wife, but down there just ain't in the cards. Kin don't excuse what he did! Nightmare take him and good riddance! Them folks from town can clean up down there."_

Drawing in a deep breath and letting it out with a shudder, Granny Smith turned away slowly from the stairs, feeling more ancient and slow than before she came into the house.

As she moved around to the middle of the house, she could see the stairs leading up to the second floor. They seemed to sag halfway up, and granny noticed the handrail broken in one place. How many moons had it been since she was here last? Granny Smith thought back.

 _"Let's see here. It was afore I moved out to Shady Pastures, and Lil' Jackie just got all her baby teeth in, so that would make it somewhere arou…"_

A noise startled her out of her reverie. It was a sound of a door or drawer closing, somewhere upstairs. Was it one of Big Mac's two young'uns? No, of course not – they had been taken into Ponyville after last night. She eyed the stairs suspiciously, as if they were to blame for the noise. She knew she'd have to climb them eventually, but she had been taking her time about it by puttering about on the main level. No other sound followed, so Granny shook her head and wrote it up to mice or something. She glanced at the stairs again.

 _"No, I ain't ready fer that jus yet. I'm gonna stay down here for a spell and work up my courage."_

 **Yesterday, Ponyville Post Office, Lunch Break**

 _"Honestly, Happy, I've never encountered a ruder customer!"_ Ruby Glimmer looked over at her co-worker. _"Have you? I mean honestly- if he wanted his mail that bad, you'd think he'd just pay what he owed and be done with it!"_

Happy Trails, halfway through his sandwich, made agreeing noises around a mouthful of sprouts. With a flick of his blue ears and a tilt of his head, he directed Ruby's attention to the corner of the room where they sat. What had been a few letters in a small container two weeks ago had been growing. It now consisted of a large container full of packages and letters with "Post Due On Arrival" stamped in red. All of them addressed to Sweet Apple Acres.

 _"Yes, and I'm tempted to 'lose' [Ruby made little quote motions with her hooves] the whole mess of it. I mean, just who did that red towering lummox think he was? Talking to me that way, and then yelling! I tried three times to explain that we could release everything to him as soon as he paid the bits due. But apparently all that bulk didn't allow enough room for a brain! He just yelled louder! Kept yelling at me about needing his tree soap! What on earth was he yelling about? Then he looked at me and gave me such a fright! I swear he was about to lunge at me! I just don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come out of the back room just in time."_

Happy, who had completed his sandwich with a loud validating gulp, completed the story.

 _"I know, Ruby. I was scared out of my wits. If he came at you, what on earth was I supposed to do against that tank of a pony? When the Manager gets back, we should file a complaint for unsafe working conditions. I'm almost afraid to go back to work."_ He looked startled at his own last comment, and hastily added, _"But of course I will, because he might come back for you, Ruby."_

Both ponies blushed a bit, and there was an awkward pause. Then Ruby broke the silence.

" _Oh you're so sweet Happy. Come on, we best get back to it. If we see him coming back we can just lock the door."_

Happy made an agreeing grunt, and followed her out of the breakroom.

 **Today – Mid-afternoon, Sweet Apple Acres**

The old olive-colored pony was distracted by the writing desk. As she approached for a closer look, she saw what looked like an unfinished letter tucked away behind stacks of junk mail and bits of wrinkled paper. She grabbed it with her mouth, and walked over to the table by the dusty window, to read it in the better light.

 _Dear Granny Smith,_

 _I know we ain't on good terms these days, but I need a favor. I need your first husband's service discharge papers so's Big Mac can file for survivor's benefits up to the Castle. He thinks he can get back pay vet benefits from your hubby's stint in the guard. It'll help us get Little Mac into that school I been telling you about. I trust you can put aside some of that stubborn you got, and help us do this for the kids._

 _Little Mac is doing fine, growing like a weed and eatin' like a horse. Big Mac found his daughter catchin' snakes down at the hollows again. Mac taught her a lesson and she didn't sit down for a few days. I know you don't cotton to such things, but he ain't gonna stand for a repeat of what happened to his sisters. I'm still getting back on my hooves after my last bout of consumption, but those do-goodin' society ladies have been bringing meals by. I felt good enough the other day to get myself down to town for the May Days with Starshine and the girls. Mac's pretty positive about the crops this year. Sales are gonna take off once harvest is done. He's gonna show y'all this year Granny, I can feel it. Things are finally going our way._

The old Olive-colored pony set the letter down and looked out the window at the south forty orchard. It looked… sickly, like there was some critter infestation or something happening.

 _"Yep, frittermites, by my word. I trained up that red lumbering oaf to soap up the trunks again'em, but he never did listen worth a whit. Only apples we'll see off them trees will be soft as an old pumpkin. Frittermites means he missed the Zap Apple harvest too."_

As she looked out the window at the orchard, there was something that didn't belong, or something missing. It took her a minute – but then…

 _"Good gravy! The barn's gone!"_

It should have blocked part of her view out to the orchard. She hadn't looked out this window in an age it seemed, yet all the extra trees and farmland she saw struck her as if someone had pulled her chair out from under her.

 _"Wait,"_ she said out loud to herself, _"I knew that. The feller this morning told me Mac burned down the barn before he came in and found Bonnie upstairs. Laws, but I wasn't ready for such a sight."_

Granny Smith wasn't much at feeling sorry for herself, but she found herself wishing old age had caught and buried her years ago. Not the first time she had caught herself thinking that since she first heard the news. The barn had stood for years. She was there when it had been raised, remembered it had been painted at the last family reunion, back when she was living there raisin' the young-uns and…

 _"To think that I had a hoof in raisin' that boy, only to see him grow up to become such a monster!"_

Granny surprised herself with a little sob. She shook her head to clear it of tears and turned away from the window.

 _"Steady on girl. You didn't come here ta blubber – there's work needs doin'. Cain't put it off no longer. Time to head up them stairs."_

She grabbed a mop and bucket as she headed away from the window and towards the staircase.

 **Last Night – Mayor's office, Ponyville**

The Mayor rubbed his temples with his front hoof. He had dreaded a night like this ever since the election two years ago. He looked out across his table at the ponies seated, and the ponies still filing in. He recognized the emotions he saw playing across their faces. Shock, sadness, anger - nobody was happy to be here. He nodded to the chief of police, then the crisis representative from Canterlot – they had been working closely together for the last four hours. He saw the hospital director file in, the green unicorn mare's mouth a thin line. There was no conversation, everypony filed in quickly, found a seat, and looked at the Mayor. He sorted through some notes and cleared his throat.

 _"Thank you all for coming on such short notice, and so late in the day. I know this is interrupting time with families, and I appreciate that you're willing to come together as a Ponyville family to help some of our own. I've been gathering reports all day, and I'll summarize what I know for you all, but please feel free to interrupt if you have information more current. As a bit of background, the Apple family was one of the first, if not the first, family to settle Ponyville. For as far back as any of us remember, or even our parents, they've been a solid part of the community._

 _"But in recent years, Big Macintosh and his wife Bonnie Brae had been struggling, to put it mildly. The death of Mac's two sisters put him under a lot of stress as he struggled to keep the farm operational. The last three years have seen drought and bad crops, which put the farm under financial stress. Bonnie's health issues have taken a heavy toll. His children were struggling in school and acting out in various ways. Granny Smith left for the retirement home. Mac started to get in trouble in town. The Chief's constables have had to break up fights on numerous occasions, and they even had to lock him up a month ago when we found him walking down the middle of main street drunk and disorderly, throwing bottles at houses and yelling at ponies._

The Mayor took a moment to steel himself for this next bit. He took a deep breath and continued:

 _"Matters apparently came to a head yesterday with a series of disturbances across town. The chief here is still putting a full picture together, but here's what we know so far. Around noon, Big Mac was denied an important package at the post office. Around 2:35, he arrived at the pub and began drinking, and around 5pm got in a fight and was evicted by the proprietor. He walked home drunk, and we believe he set fire to their barn."_

He heard a few gasps from around the table, as those just now hearing the facts for the first time reacted. He didn't pause or look up from his notes, but continued:

 _"Neighbors alerted the Fire Department, who responded and was on the scene within 5 minutes. Ponyville PD, who had been appraised of Mac's actions in town, also sent two patrolponies. As the Fireponies were dealing with the barn, the officers attempted to contact anyone in the house. There was no immediate response to their knocks and calls, but eventually, Mac and Bonnie's little girl opened the door and let everyone in. She was upset but responded to questions. Apparently, after setting the barn on fire, Mac went into his home, yelling and violent, looking for his wife. He went upstairs, finding her in the bathroom, and… "_ He closed his eyes for a moment searching for courage, _"…and attacked his wife, severely injuring her."_

The Mayor looked up from his notes and looked around the horrified and scared faces, finding the right one. " _Any news, administrator Greenleaf?"_

The brown unicorn mare who ran the hospital looked nervous, but stood up. _"I… we… we just don't know yet about the mother, Mayor. The children were in much better shape, at least physically. Minor cuts and bruises. But the mother arrived in critical condition and was rushed into emergency surgery within minutes. When I got the call for this meeting, she was two hours into surgery – Doc Headstrong was leading the surgical team, but I couldn't interrupt their work to get status. I left instructions for a runner to bring word, as soon as we know. I'm sorry Mayor, that's all I have."_

 _"I understand – thank you Ma'am."_ The Mayor took a deep, shuddering breath, and resumed the narrative. _" To continue, the filly led the officers to the upstairs bathroom, where they found Bonnie in the bathtub, injured and unresponsive. She and the children were all transported to Ponyville Hospital. The children indicated BigMac was in the basement… and… and…"_ The Mayor began to tear up.

Chief Horseshoe cleared his throat. _"I'll take it from here mayor."_ The Mayor sat down with a grateful look as the Chief took up the narrative. _"We determined the two minor children did not have life threatening injuries, and began looking for the father. We found one large deceased buck in the basement. We upgraded the case from domestic and arson to possible homicide, and immediately cleared the crime scene. We began an investigation and interviewed several witnesses, including the children at the hospital. Forensic evidence and the statements we took from the neighbors and the children match up well. The picture is fairly clear - Big Mac burned down his barn, and entered his home intending to kill his family, and then probably himself. After finishing with his wife, he came downstairs and attacked his daughter in the kitchen, when Little Mac ran into him from behind, knocking them both down the stairs. Initial autopsy results indicate Big Mac landed on his head after reaching the bottom of the stairs, breaking his neck and dying instantly. His son landed on top of him and only received minor injuries. Both children were treated by the EMT ponies and taken into protective custody. The children are shaken up and disoriented as one would expect, but no serious injuries,"_ He paused a moment to glance over at the hospital administrator, _"at least not physical injuries."_

The room was full of sniffs and little sobs. Ponies looked around at each other, with looks on their faces showing their shock and sadness, and some relief about the children.

 _"Where are the children now, Chief?"_ Asked the hospital administrator quietly.

 _"They're at my house with my wife while we contact relatives and try to decide what next steps are. Their only relative in Ponyville is Granny Smith, she's not in a position to take them, but she said she would rally the family. She's going out to the house tomorrow."_

As the meeting continued, the Mayor rubbed his temples with his hooves. _"How in Equestria could this have happened?"_

 **Today – Afternoon, Sweet Apple Acres**

 _"How in Equestria could this have happened? Sweet Celestia, I knew I should have tried to talk that girl out of joinin' up with our family, but I never imagined in a thousand moons…"_

Granny Smith stood in the second floor hallway, looking into the bathroom. She knew what had happened here. This is where Big Mac, ended by his own limitations and a series of bad years, had tried to end his wife's life. She had struggled some apparently. Toiletries and junk littered the floor. The antique vanity that was older than the house itself lie at an awkward angle, some jagged glass still hanging in the frame. The folks Granny would meet here this evening would bring her an update, but from what Granny could see in front of her, Bonnie was at death's door with three hooves across the threshold.

She took a step back and looked away – down the hall, at the floor, at anything but the horrible scene from the bathroom and all it meant.

Standing in the hallway outside the bathroom, she saw into Mac & Bonnie's bedroom. It was the cleanest room in the house. She stood there and took in the sight for a minute. A warm ray of clean sunlight shone in through a window across the large feather bed. Granny Smith noticed it had been nicely made – she didn't remember Bonnie being one for tidiness. She must have foreseen Mac's mood and done up the bedroom nice and fancy, hoping he'd find it more inviting than taking out his frustrations in his usual ways.

 _"Whelp, that didn't turn out like she'd hoped either."_ Granny Smith thought to herself. _"Nothing in this house had for moons. Now look at everything. I suppose they'll adopt out Bonnie's two little'uns – best thing for 'em is to get as far away from this place as possible and never come back. They'll sell off the house an' farm (what's left of it) to pay off all the debt and that'll be that. I'll go back to Shady Pastures for my last days. End of the Ponyville Apples. Dern foolish red oaf! He's ended us all!"_

She turned back towards the bathroom and squared her shoulders. No more emotion to be had now. She was tuckered out and wanted to get back to her chair in the sun, and she hadn't done a lick of work yet. With a little effort, she creaked down onto her haunches and began to lift pieces of broken glass into her bucket.

 _"That's where she died…"_ said a tiny but firm voice behind her.

Granny Smith gave a little yelp and whipped her head back around to the bedroom she had just been studying, to see the tail end of a small shadow disappear behind the door.

 _"Who's there?!"_ Granny Smith shouted out.

Nothing. The only sound was a little whistle of the wind getting into the house, some branches outside scraping against the eaves downstairs. No sound came from the bedroom.

 _"I said who's there? Come out to where I can get a look at yer. Y'ought to be ashamed of yerself, scaring an old lady like that."_

The shadow returned, growing a little on the floor. Then close to the floor, a small dusty brown head slowly peeked around the door, one wary green eye looked up at her. Granny gasped at the tiny sight.

 _"Celestia bless you - you're just a filly! Come on out here now – you're not supposed to be here."_ Granny softened her tone a bit. _"Now who are you then little Missy, and how come you're sneakin' around in other people's houses? Did you know the little girl that lived here?"_

The tiny head, and the rest of the little filly, emerged from behind the door and stood before Granny Smith. Such a sight! The filly had mottled brown fur, scraped up in places. Her short light brown hair lay tousled around her head. Granny saw the girl had a dirty bandage wrapped around her left hind leg. The filly craned her head sideways, looking past the old pony and into the bathroom, Her mouth a straight line of anxiety mixed with resolve. She said in a calmer but still tiny voice: _"I tried to clean up in there too, but can't yet. That's where he did her in."_

 _"Now girl, no talking about such things."_ Granny Smith decided not to tell her about the news that Bonnie might still be alive. _"Tell me what's happening here little missy. You look like you've been through the ringer! What are you doing here?"_

The filly turned her neck around and looked back into the bedroom from which she had emerged. _"I was getting your bedroom ready for ya, Granny. Just finishing up when I heard you downstairs."_

Granny pulled her chin back, tilting her head down to view the dirty brown filly with confusion. _"Say what now young'un? I don't live here, I just stopped by to…"_

 _"I know that Granny! But now…"_ She turned back around and pointed her nose towards the bathroom, _"Now_ t _hey're gone, me and my brother'll need a grown-up to live with us, and this is the best bedroom, even if it is up the stairs, we'll help you up them, and I know the Mayor will let you stay. We'll show him how good we are at everything - I mean they never lifted a hoof around here and made us do all the work and I got really good at making breakfast and we all were used to putting ourselves to bed and…"_

 _"Tarnation, child, what are you talking about?"_ Granny said, totally taken aback, but the little filly hadn't heard and was still talking.

 _"… and with you back here again we can finally be a family, and don't worry 'bout the chores Granny, 'cuz me & Mac already been doing 'em all this time anyway, so it don't matter that yer old, Mac'll fix up the busted rocker for ya, and we'll paint the porch again so you can sit in the sun and rock and tell us stories and…"_

Granny Smith watched with wide eyes and shock as the little filly babbled on. She walked up to her, bent down and picked up one little leg, looking closely. She rubbed at the muddy brown to reveal a bright orange. She caught the babbling filly's face with both hooves, and interrupted the stream of words to move her head up to look straight into those green eyes. A dawning awareness grew as she looked down at her granddaughter. _"Applejack? Is that you under all that dirt?"_

 _"'Course it's me, Granny! Ain't you been listenin'? We just need to go back to that house where they took us and get my brother and bring him here, and I'll make supper while he goes to get your things and you can move in tonight!"_ Applejack resumed her running narrative about how their new life would be, while Granny let her hooves fall to her side and sat down hard on her haunches with a whump.

 _"They told me they took you to the Sherriff's house 'til they could figure out what to do…"_

Applejack gave a look. _"They took us to some nice people who fed us up right and all, but I had to get here, so I took off after they fell asleep. Don'tcha see Granny? I had to get here to clean up this place so's you'd be able to move in!"_

Granny Smith thought about how to explain things. Everyone had known for years what sort of pony her son had become, and now, with them both gone, the kids would be better off with relations outside of Ponyville. _"I see what you were shootin for young'un, but you gotta understand. You and Little Mac..."_

 _"DON'T CALL HIM LITTLE!"_ Applejack shouted at her grandma, who flinched at the sudden little explosion. _"Nobody ever gets to call him little again! Our daddy always called him little, laughed at him, told him he'd never amount to nothing! No! He got his mark last night during the fight, I saw it when he came up the cellar stairs. A big huge apple, big as life!"_ AJ paused and looked towards the stairs. _"He's Big Mac now – the only…"_ she stopped, looking around as if trying to find the right words, _"the only real Big Mac to ever live here – and anyone callin' him little again will have to deal with me! Don't you see, Granny? His mark proves that we're still gonna be the Apple family! You got apples, and Mac's got apples, and I just know I'll have mine soon."_ Applejack closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then gave Granny Smith the most straightforward, powerful gaze a tiny filly covered in mud could give. _"You gotta move in and be the grown-up, Granny! You just gotta. They're gonna… I heard 'em last night… They'll ship us away- Away from our home-"_ She bit off that last word and looked up with fear and hope at the old pony, her green eyes begging for an answer.

Granny Smith gathered her thoughts for a moment. All three of her children were gone now – the girls taken young, her son BigMac turned bad, and now gone too. She swallowed, considering the choice. Starting over, with new young'uns? At her age? It didn't seem doable, but as she looked down at the pleading gaze of her granddaughter, she wondered. Granny swallowed again, took a breath, and opened her mouth. _"Well young'un, I s'pose…"_

She was interrupted by a sound from downstairs. Grandma and granddaughter both turned to look back down the hall as someone pounded on the front door and then opened it. _"Granny Smith? Granny Smith are you here?"_ A stallion's nervous voice from downstairs called into the house. _"It's me, Picture Frame? From the Mayor's office? Granny, are you here?"_

 _"We're up here, Picture. Come on up, please."_ Granny stood up slowly and turned towards the stairs, looking down at Applejack's nervous face. _"Don't you fret now, sugarcube. This gentlepony don't wish you no harm – you just let me do the talking."_ The young filly relaxed a little as the young sky blue pegasus half ran, half stumbled into the room, stammering, _"…had something happen last night, Granny. The girl ran off from the – oh my,"_ he said as he pulled up short and saw Applejack.

 _"Now just you calm down young buck,"_ said Granny warmly. _"I imagine half the town is looking for her, but you can tell 'em she's with me. We've just been deciding on how to get the news to everyone that she's fine."_

Picture Frame's jaw worked noiselessly as he looked quickly from Granny Smith down to Applejack, then back to Granny Smith. _"News… news… ne… Yes! News! Ooh my – it's a relief you found her Ma'am, but there's more! I have to tell you… Your daughter Bonnie…"_ The anxious pony looked back down to Applejack. _"Oh my. Your mother. I'm sorry. I'm so… Um…_ " He took a deep breath and steeled himself, then, said the bit he had practiced all the way to the house, _"The, ah, Mayor's office regrets to inform you, Mrs. Smith, that your daughter-in-law Bonnie Brae passed away at the hospital last night,"_

Granny Smith looked down at Applejack, who had closed her eyes and gave a little whimper. She saw the filly's chest heave once, twice, then she opened her eyes and gazed evenly and resolutely at the blue pony _. "The Mayor and Sherriff and, well, all of Ponyville, express their deepest condolences. We want you to know that your granddaughter is temporarily mis… well, I mean, that is, she's found now so that part isn't important any more. And your grandson Little Mac is safe at…"_

 _"DON'T CALL HIM LITTLE!"_ exploded Applejack, shocking a little squeak of surprise out of Picture Frame, who backed up into a dresser as he retreated from the dusty orange/brown filly, who was advancing on him with fire in her eyes. Granny wrapped her front legs around Applejack and quickly said, _"Hush now child! Where are your manners! He didn't mean offense. You apologize right now young filly."_

Applejack let out a big breath, looked up apologetically at the old olive pony then back at the frightened stallion, saying _"Pardon, sir. We're just heading out to get him and bring him back here, because we're finally a family now and we need to be together."_

Picture Frame relaxed a little as he processed what was happening. _"I… Ok, no harm done my dear. Um, ok then. Ah – family? Together you say?"_ He looked back to the elder pony. _" Granny, is it true? Are you taking stewardship over the children?"_ Granny Smith looked down at Applejack, and nodded, _"That'll change things – we've already got runners out to Manehattan and Appleoosa and half a dozen other Apple family memb… fami… famFamily! Oh! The other bit of news! Granny!_ " He looked around excitedly, working his jaws again and trying to get the words out in the right order, _"Family! You've got more, Granny! A little filly! She… They delivered the foal right after… Almost didn't notice… I'm supposed to tell you… I… You…"_

Granny now grabbed Picture's face with her hooves, her eyes demanding to be met. _"Goodness, Picture! Yer as stuttery as my hubby's old mechanical washin' machine. Just take a breath now and spit it out!"_

She stared straight into his eyes as he took a breath and burst out, _"Another granddaughter, Granny! Bonnie was pregnant!"_

 _"She was what!?"_ Both Granny and Applejack shouted at once, both falling back on their haunches in the hallway.

 **A week later, Ponyville Hospital**

The Mayor walked up to Granny Smith, who was seated in the visitor's chairs looking through the large window into the hospital's nursery. On the other side of the glass, a young Big Macintosh lay collapsed across a rocking chair, sleeping. A baby blanket lay draped across his chest, half covering his large green apple cutie mark. A small bundle lay atop the blanket, a tiny yellow sleeping head poking out. Someone had added an infant-sized pink bow, looking huge on the premature bald head. Mac's head hung over the back of the chair upside down, eyes closed, snoring loudly enough to be heard on the other side of the glass.

The Mayor approached old pony, saying fondly _"I hear they'll be releasing the tiny thing this week. Folks are calling it a miracle."_

Granny looked up at the Mayor who had come to stand next to her. _"Ayep. That she is Mayor, that she is."_ She looked back at two of her grandchildren. _"Celestia knows she's got her big brother lookin' out for her. He's been up three days straight, never leaving her side, keeping an eye on everything and everyone. Ain't said but two words the whole time, but even that ornery nurse lady said he's a natural at havin' a baby sister. He'll grow up to look just like his daddy, but won't anyone ever mistake the two, you can see his gentle heart from here."_ She gave a contented sigh. _"To think after all these years, I get another chance to raise another bushel of Apples."_

The Mayor looked relieved. _"I've no doubt you'll do an excellent job, Mrs. Smith. Ooh! That reminds me why I'm here."_ He reached into his saddlebags and offered up a binder. _"It's all official. These are the adoption papers, all finalized and notarized. Madame Starscape from Equestrian services has finished her evaluation of the living arrangements, and well…"_ He looked fondly at Granny Smith, _"… she said she'd never seen so many ponies assemble so quickly from all over Equestria to work so quickly. The home looks new, inside and out. The new barn looks, well, done – in record time. I hear you've worked out an arrangement with the bank. Something about selling advance rights for Zap Apple jam in perpetuity to the Rich family. You've done an amazing job here, Granny."_

Granny gave the Mayor an embarrassed and flattered look. _"Now Mayor, truth be told, Applejack did more work than I did, and even some of the talking. By the time folks started arriving, she already had sleeping arrangements worked out and what the new barn should look like. She's the hardest working little filly I ever laid eyes on. In fact, she's back at the farm right now, tryin' to work that plough. Wouldn't surprise me if I got back and found half a row dug."_

They turned back towards the nursery and regarded the sleeping forms. He ventured a worried glance at the old pony and asked, _"And do they know now about the ramifications of her, well, of her.."_

 _"Doc says they took her out of her mother soon enough. She's tiny, there's no denying that, but she'll grow. They're a might worried about the lack of blood flow in the womb, they say that can cause delays in getting her cutie mark and other such things."_ Granny looked back at the sleeping forms in the nursery. But d _on't you worry none Mayor. The little squeezin' will come home and things'll be fine. She's an Apple, and with all of us around her, she'll bloom just fine, once we pick the right name for her."_


End file.
